We?ve been salivating over the new Kawasaki Z900RS since it said konnichiwa at the Tokyo Motor Show. The new Zed has a clear lineage back to the iconic Z1, and marks the rebirth of the Universal Japanese Motorcycle.
It?s also a damned attractive bike that promises strong on-road performance. So I?ve just spent a day ripping through the sun-baked canyons of Malibu on a Z900RS, 30 miles west of downtown LA, to see if Kawasaki have delivered the goods. And I?m happy to confirm there are reasons to keep drooling.

First off, this bike is gorgeous, especially in the metal. The depth of color in the Candytone Brown lacquer is lost in pixels alone. Get up close and personal and it?s exquisite.
The tones change from near black to a warm Sarsaparilla, depending on how the light hits. And the orange accents score top marks, too. Even if you have never seen a Z1 before (cough, millennials, cough), the new Z900RS makes a compelling argument for brown.
That beauty runs deeper than the paint. Touches like the machined fins on the inline-four engine, the low teardrop style tank and that ducktail rear-end are clear retro hallmarks; Kawasaki has paid attention to the miscues of some other OEMs.
It’s a bike that is voluptuous and curvy from above, while maintaining a clean and flat stance.

Of course, the RS isn?t immune to aesthetic criticisms. Purists have been quick to comment that spoked wheels, twin outboard shocks and a Z1-style 4-2-4 exhaust would pay better homage.
An...